Unlicensed distracted Last Ride Semi driver crashes into bridge and lands in ditch killing 60 hogs


By [email protected] Updated on Saturday, September 23 2017 02:01pm

Semi Loaded with hogs in ditch
Le Mars Fire unloading surviving hogs
Le Mars Fire cutting holes to free hogs
Stockton Towing Heavy uprights truck and trailer
Stockton Towing Heavy pulls truck and trailer from ditch
Stockton Towing Heavy pulls truck and trailer from ditch
Stockton Towing Heavy pulls truck and trailer from ditch
Stockton Towing Heavy pulls truck and trailer from ditch
Last Ride Trucking

An estimated 60 hogs died Friday evening in the crash. Plymouth County Sheriff's Office says unlicensed driver 24-year-old Lawrence Martin Charles reached for something in the cab when he hit the bridge on Highway 3 at Iris Avenue on September 22nd just before 6:30 pm.

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The release says Charles drove for Last Ride Trucking from Sheridan Missouri. The truck was hauling 155 Fat Hogs, the hogs that survived were offloaded with the help of Le Mars Fire Rescue and others. Approximately 55 to 60 hogs died. Stockton Towing's Heavy Recovery team uprighted the truck and pulled it from the ditch.

Charles was cited for no drivers license and failure to maintain control. There was an estimated $150,000 damage to the truck and trailer.

The road was closed intermittently during the cleanup and limited at others. It was fully reopened after about 6 hours. Plymouth County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Iowa Department of transportation, Le Mars Fire, and Le Mars Ambulance